Fat Art – Augustin Kassi

The colors are warm, the subjects are round, rounder and roundest, and they have such a feeling of self-confidence and strength. These are women of beauty and power.

Augustin Kassi began drawing and painting at a young age and later went to Art College. The main medium for his paintings today is oil and water. However, his career did not take off until he was inspired by a chance conversation he overheard. He says: “I was on a small bus when a fat woman climbed aboard and the conductor said ‘madam, you’ll have to pay for two seats.’ I said to myself, madam has to pay for two seats, that’s quite something, but why shouldn’t such women be in my paintings.” Augustin Kassi is now the champion of all categories of ‘fat women’. Augustin is convinced that fat women are victims of fashion … In Africa, the so-called strong woman is synonymous with sensuality as she is well built and comes across as healthy.

The women in Kassi’s paintings are all about their size, and taking up space. They are serene and comfortable in their own bodies. And while many of the paintings are the upper torso, I feel like the canvas is simply unable to contain the whole of these beautiful women.